Risks? Rewards?
by Robin Roronoa
Summary: Modern Au. After a night out clubbing with the crew, Zoro's put in charge of making sure the archaeologist gets home safe when Nami has to leave early. Simple enough task, especially with how well they were getting along inside, but nothing's ever simple with this crew thinks Zoro as he faces the unexpected challenges of trying to get the woman safely to her apartment.


It was a stupid idea.

Zoro sat in the booth, watching his friends make fools of themselves as they danced to the obnoxiously loud, synthetic beats coming from the speakers overhead. He hadn't wanted to come out with the crew to celebrate Luffy's older brothers returning home from their separate business trips that their jobs had forced them to go on, but Ace had insisted that the entire group go let loose at a local club. For someone who held such an esteemed rank in his company, Ace sure knew how to make a fool of himself on the dance floor, thought the moss head as he watched a slew of women brush against the shirtless man with disgust.

_Idiot, letting random women dance on him like that, he won't even see them after tonight. _Zoro took another drink from his glass, his eye moving from Ace to search out the rest of his friends in the mess of dancing bodies they were lost in. He caught sight of the stupid cook with the witch of a mapmaker pressed up against his chest, for once allowing the pathetic blonde to put his hands on her as they danced together. Next he saw his best friend along near his oldest brother, Sabo, and the chestnut-haired girl that had he had brought home. She was apparently a coworker of his, Panda, or Koala, some kind of bear. He didn't really care, she was just another woman to him, one that would be gone from his life as soon as work pulled the scarred blonde away from Luffy's place again.

_How can anyone enjoy this crap? I wouldn't be caught dead out there, shaking around like a drunken idiot while some random skank grinds on me. I could be doing something useful, like training, or catching up on sleep, but they just had to drag me out here. _

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself, Mr. Swordsman."

Zoro turned towards the voice that had just been beside his ear, surprised to find the crew's archaeologist seated beside him in the booth. _How did I not notice her?, _thought the swordsman suspiciously. _Stupid woman, always making me nervous and getting under my skin._

"This isn't really my idea of fun.", shouted Zoro, looking down at the table to avoid the woman's teasing eyes.

"Perhaps you'd enjoy it more with a partner.", said Robin, her lips lingering on his ear even after she had finished speaking. She smiled as the young man's ears pinked at her suggestive notion before grabbing his hand and pulling him off the cushioned bench. She stopped only a few feet from the table, knowing that Zoro would prefer to stay farther away from the crowd in a relatively open space rather than searching out their friends.

"What now?", mouthed the green-haired man, awkwardly standing away from her, as he looked around at the club's other patrons.

Instead of answering, she moved forward, placing his hands on her hips after turning away from him, reaching back with her own to bring his face towards her neck. Her was back pressed into his muscular chest as she began moving to the pulsing music, forcing Zoro to follow her lead as he reluctantly moved his hips as well, his eye never leaving her bright blue ones as she looked over her shoulder at him.

Zoro didn't know what he was doing, this wasn't like him at all, he loathed the idiots that went out and did this kind of stuff. Those thoughts were overridden though as he watched Robin sink down low, her body sliding down his while his hands trailed up her flat stomach to her ample chest, relishing the feel of her soft form moving against his. He brought his hands back to her hips as she returned to her full height, feeling every move her body made as they danced. Looking up, Zoro noticed the attention the historian was getting from the surrounding clubbers, their eyes hungrily scanning her over as she danced against him. Glaring at them, he spun Robin in his arms so that she was facing him, pulling her close as they continued to rub against each other.

"Jealous, Mr. Swordsman?", asked the raven-haired woman with smirk, giggling slightly at the swordsman flushed face. He was always so easy to read, yet it never seemed to bore her to get the reaction she was certain she would from him. Predictability was only tedious when the outcome was boring, she thought as she pressed her lips against his ear once again. "Would you like me to get rid of them?" Seeing the clear sign of confusion on his handsome face made her next move all the more satisfying as she gently pressed her lips against his, waiting until the initial shock was over and he had brought his hand to back of her head, to kiss him harder. The historian smiled as she felt Zoro's callused hand slide down her back, his fingers slowly trailing down her spine before coming to rest firmly on her bottom, pulling her even closer against him as they continued kissing.

The swordsman was oblivious to his surroundings, the music just the audible sound of his racing mind and sporadic heartbeat, the irritating, insistent pressure on his shoulder just a momentary distraction before he felt Robin's mouth move against his, drawing him back to her. It worked fine until he felt a sharp pain in his shin, making him wince as he turned around angrily to find the culprit. He was met with the sight of a smirking Nami. He waited for her to tell him why she'd interrupted them, but received only a finger pointing in the direction of where he thought the bathrooms were. Zoro felt a hand grip his, seeing the blue-eyed archaeologist following after the witch with him in tow and reluctantly followed after them.

He was surprised when they ended up outside. "So what do you want, Nami?", he asked, letting all of his irritation at being pulled away from the lovely archaeologist leak into his voice. "And why the heck did you kick me in the shin?"

"If you would of turned around when I was tapping your shoulder I wouldn't have had to, moron. Sabo took off in the car to take Koala to her hotel, so now I have to drive Luffy and Ace home."

"What has that got to do with us?", asked the swordsman.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving Robin a lift home since we rode up here together now that I have to take the glutton brothers home. You know since you two seem so close.", said the mapmaker with a cocky smirk.

"Sure, as long as that's alright with you, Robin."

"Of course, Mr. Swordsman.", replied the raven-haired woman with a smile as she squeezed his hand.

"Alright then, Franky left to take Chopper home a little while ago after the little guy said he was getting worn out, and I'm pretty sure Sanji and Brook both have their cars here, so they should be able to get home by themselves if they don't end up passed out on the floor from all the attention they're getting from random women in there. That's everyone accounted for, right?"

"Yeah, that's our whole crew.", agreed Zoro.

"Okay, I better hurry before Luffy and Ace wreck my car, I left them waiting in there when I came back in to find you guys. I'll talk you later, Robin.", said the redhead hurriedly, giving the older woman a quick hug before rushing into the parking lot.

"So what now?", asked Zoro nervously. "We could go back in, or I could take you home now if you want."

"I am feeling a bit tired after all of that.", admitted Robin, a yawn escaping her lips as moved her hand to try and hide it. "It was a rather busy day at work today."

"Home it is then.", said Zoro, slipping his arm around her waist as he led her towards his car. He was happy he had gotten a spot that you could see from the club's entrance, the last thing he needed was to drag Robin all over the massive parking lot trying to find his car when she was practically falling asleep against him as they walked. "Apartment twenty-six eleven, right?", he asked as he got into the driver's seat.

"Yes, do you remember where the complex is, Zoro?"

"Yeah, it's like four streets over from my place next to the big building with the pointy thing on top. The street's named after a tree or something.", said the swordsman pulling out onto road and heading for the historian's home.

"Fufufu, the building with the pointy thing as you put it is a massive church and you were correct the street is Ash Path which is indeed a type of tree.", giggled Robin as she reclined in her seat.

"Ash, right. Hehe, leave it to you to live on a street with such a creepy name.", joked Zoro. He looked over to see that his friend had apparently drifted off to sleep already, her cheek pressing into the headrest as she faced towards him. _She must have been pretty worn out to fall asleep that fast, and in a car of all places. _He continued the drive in silence, taking turn after turn until he saw the familiar landmarks indicating he was on the correct street of Robin's apartment building, proud of himself for getting there in only forty minutes. Pulling into the covered parking in front of her building, Zoro turned the car off, his eye landing on the sleeping woman beside him. _Should I wake her up? She must be exhausted after working so hard and then staying out late with all of us, maybe I could just carry her up to her apartment. Her neighbors have seen me over here before, right? How suspicious will I look carrying her up there in the middle of the night?, _thought the swordsman, rubbing at his face in frustration. _"Maybe I should just wake her up and walk her upstairs."_

"Hey, Robin. Robin, wake up, we're at your place.", said Zoro, gently shaking her shoulder as he spoke. "Robin."

"Mm, Zoro.", answered the historian. He watched a sleepy smile form on her mouth as she leaned into his touch before settling back down in her chair.

_Crap, okay, so I'll take her upstairs and put her on her bed and then leave and act like I didn't hear that., _thought Zoro, his cheeks blushing slightly at having Robin moan his name in her sleep. _Yeah, I'll do that just to make sure she's safe and comfy, and then leave. _

Getting Robin out of the car was relatively simple, all he had to do was hook his arms under her legs and lower back and ease her out before kicking the door shut. He made his way up the stone stairs, careful to not knock the woman's long, pale legs against the railing as he quickly looked for her door.

_Twenty-six eleven, twenty-eleven, there! _He headed over quickly, stopping on the faded welcome mat when a thought struck him. _How am I suppose to get in? Idiot, why didn't you think to ask her about her key before she fell asleep? Okay, stay calm, where would she have a key?_ Zoro eased the blue-eyed historian's gently onto the concrete walkway, propping her against the door as he looked her over for someplace that would house her personal possessions. He eyed the short black dress and matching heels, seeing no pockets whatsoever that could hold essentials like house keys. _Her backpack. Dang, I bet she left it in Nami's car while we were inside since they rode together, stupid witch. Wait, she keeps a spare key in the little lantern looking thing., _thought the young man excitedly, quickly standing and looking at the flickering light next to the dark maroon door. He lifted the top off quietly, fishing around for the small jagged piece of metal until he found it, careful to not bump his exposed skin against the burning bulb inside. He eased the top part back on and slid the key into the lock, silently celebrating the fact that he had gotten the door open without having to wake his slumbering friend before picking her back up into his arms and carrying her inside.

_I forgot how nice Robin's place is., _noted Zoro as he took in the beautifully decorated living room with it's rich colors and stylish furniture. All of it accented by the woman's unique tastes, from the massive bookshelf that lined the far wall to the strange mix of dark abstract paintings and bright flowers that accentuated the spacious room. Walking down the hallway, Zoro made his way to Robin's bedroom, carefully depositing her on top of the queen-sized bed and then slipping her shoes off. He covered her up with the violet comforter, letting his hand slide over her arm as he did so before bringing to up to her cheek. "Night, Robin.", whispered the swordsman, before exiting the room, leaving the historian to her rest.

Entering the living room once again and walking to the door, Zoro paused when he realized yet another problem concerning the apartment's door. _Dang it, I can't just leave her alone in an unlocked apartment. What if some pervert watched me carry her up here and sees me leave without locking it. I can't risk letting Robin get hurt 'cause I'm a moron. But I can't just stay here while she sleeps, can I? Alone in unlocked apartment, bad. Staying over without telling her, bad. Jerk breaking in and hurting her., _thought the one-eyed man as he weighed the risks of each option, not that he had many to begin with. _The couch seems comfy, and I'd rather her break my neck for staying over than have her be robbed or taken advantage of because I didn't._, confirmed the swordsman as he lay down to try and get some sleep himself. _Who knows, maybe she won't even care._

_Next Morning_

_Mm, that was quite the night yesterday, _thought Robin as she sat up and stretched her sore muscles, remembering the time she had spent in the swordsman's arms before he had driven her home. _Hmm, he did drive me home, I clearly recall Nami-chan asking him to give me a lift home and getting in the car, but when did I get into bed, and why I'm I still in my dress from last night? I can't remember. _The archaeologist climbed out of her bed, quickly making her way into the hallway and heading towards her living room and kitchen to start her morning with her usual cup of coffee hoping it wold clear her head a bit. _Did Zoro have something to do with it, or..._

"Hey, Sleepyhead."

Robin froze at the sight in her kitchen as she rounded the corner. Zoro was standing in front of her stove, mixing the contents of whatever was in the skillet in front of him as he smiled at her.

"Sorry for staying over without asking, but I couldn't leave you with out securing your door and you fell asleep in the car and I tried to wake you up, but...", apologized the young man awkwardly. "I thought making you breakfast might help my case. I hope you don't mind that I kinda ransacked your kitchen looking for breakfast foods I knew how to make."

Robin continued to stare, completely thrown by Zoro's explanation for his presence in her apartment and even more so by his subsequent apology. "You really shouldn't have, Zoro.", breathed Robin, walking over to the moss head and wrapping her arms around his waist from behind as she spoke. "I'm sorry I was so much trouble for you last night."

"It's alright, this isn't the first time I've stayed at someone's house after they fell asleep in my car.", said Zoro.

"Oh.", whispered Robin sadly, thinking she had misunderstood the young man's kindness to her.

"But I'd much rather take care of you than that crappy love cook.", he said smirking over his shoulder at her surprised face before leaning down to kiss her soft lips.

"Fufufu, I'll need to remember to tell Sanji about that the next time I see him. I'm sure he'll be heartbroken to know you have replaced him with someone else.", teased Robin, leaning to rest her head on Zoro's shoulder as he returned to cooking.

"Yeah, he might even have a stroke when you tell him it's you.", laughed the one-eyed man, smiling as Robin nuzzled his neck with her sharp nose before pressing kisses to the sensitive skin. "This won't be ready for another ten minutes or so, why don't you go take a quick shower while I finish up."

"Are you sure you don't need my help with anything?"

"Nah, I'm good.", assured Zoro. He felt his head being turned just before his mouth was covered with the archaeologist's sweet one. Her hands cupped his face as she kissed him deeply, sending shivers throughout his body at the intensity of the contact.

"Thank you, Zoro-kun. I really appreciate all that you've done for me.", said Robin, pecking his lips to punctuate each word.

"It's no big deal, Robin. Besides, I already told you." started the swordsman leaning closer to whisper in her ear. "I like taking care of you.", he finished with a smile, pulling away to see her blushing cheeks as his words. "You really should go get some cold water on your face though, you look like you might have a fever.", teased the man, watching with delight as the older woman's face turned even more red. _That's certainly a first. I'm normally the one with the red cheeks while she gives me that irritatingly sexy smirk of hers._

"Perhaps you're right, Zoro-kun. I think I will take that shower before we have breakfast.", said the historian before turning away and heading back towards her bedroom. "Just shout if you need anything."

"I'll be sure to do that.", replied Zoro, doing his best to look as superior and teasing as she always did in front of him. He watched her walk away, catching the small smile on her lips just before she turned back around before returning his attention to the egg mixture in the pan in front of him. _That turned out better than I expected._

**A/N:** For **megaME and Naomi** who wanted me to write more AUs. Fun fact, I actually came up with the idea for the ending part first and then had to develop a plot to get them to that point, first time writing a story in reverse as far as the plot goes. Hope you all enjoy this one-shot and let me know if you would like me to write any specific AUs or just random scenes that wouldn't fit into my one-shot series _Family Time _where I normally take requests.


End file.
